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Exit Clov

Tuesday, November 6, at Tower 2012.

There's so much to like about Exit Clov, it's tough picking a starting point. Twin sisters Emily and Susan Hsu's thoughtful, politically acute lyrics are rife with harmonies, delivered in bright, airy voices that recall Elizabeth Fraser and Sarah Shannon as well as, more obviously, Tegan and Sara. Employing a musical soundscape that evokes both Lush and Shannon's Velocity Girl, Exit Clov plays chewy, guitar-fueled post-punk splashed with warm watercolor washes of dream-pop texture (both sisters play violin). While the D.C.-based quintet shares influences with its '90s brethren, it's much more informed by groove-riding dance beats. The group also has a splendid facility for blending all these sounds — especially on "Talkin Radio," which combines doo-wop harmonies, a bustling, dance-floor-ready snare rhythm, and a spacey dub break. And on the terrific "DIY," a dance-punk intro gives way to a Dirty Three-ish violin jam with tons of keyboard swirl. All the while, the girls offer biting commentary on indie-rock cliques. Exit Clov has released four EPs in the past five years, including 2006's Respond, Respond, which reprises the best tracks from their three previous records.